Liquid Phase Exfoliation and Microwave Assisted Modification in MoS2 Nanostructure

Abstract

In the present study, we develop one-dimensional nanostructures of MoS2 from its two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets by following self-assembling process in the presence of microwave radiation. First, we exfoliated MoS2 into 2D nanosheets by liquid phase exfoliation method. Then the solutions of MoS2 nanosheets are placed in a microwave oven. By varying the exposure time of microwave (IR) radiation on MoS2 solution, we investigated its effect on the micro-structural evolution of MoS2 nanosheets. From the SEM images, it is observed that with an exposure time of 2.5 min, nanorods of MoS2 start emerging as if piercing through the nanosheets of MoS2. At 5 min exposure span, the nanorods start growing further making a network like structure. But the transformation from nanosheets to nanorods was not complete. Still some nanosheets of MoS2 were visible. At 7.5 min exposure time, the nanorods are grown in diameter as well as in length and with no appearance of nanosheets. The 2D nanosheets either could have completely transformed into nanorods or partially may self- assembled into bulk structures. This study suggests that microwave irradiation is a facile way to develop one-dimensional nanostructures of MoS2 from two-dimensional nanosheets.